Endless-belt conveyer.



R. W. VAIL. ENDLESS BELT GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20, 1912.

1,108,635. v I Patented July 14,1914.

2 SHEETSSHBET l.

lul lull T l nk-X34: I

wi/maweo I flm W R. W. VAIL.

ENDLESS BELT OONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1912.

31919650 Patented July 14,19M

2 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

8 vwa W606 4M. E M, 32 Matte chews,

En s rairns PATENT oFFioE.

ROBERT W. VAIL, 0F YORK, N. Y.

ENDLESS-BELT CONVEYER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. VAI-L, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of ing belts for securing alarger number of transmitting and receiving stations, than could havebeen arranged 1n belt conveyer systems heretofore used. These systems 1might be classified as single belt conveyers,

inasmuch as they comprise an endless belt which, for part of its lengthonly, is in contact and cooperates with .another single belt and onlyfor this short distance acts as a conveying means.

The present invention comprises a system of two or more endless beltswhich are in contact throughout, the greater part of their length andare locally spread apart, for short distances only, for the purpose ofreceiving articles, and then travel again in contact witheach other to areceiving station, where they deliver the article.

Means are shown for adjusting the belts, should they become stretchedand, therefore,

' fail to properly grip the articles, all of which contribute to theorganization of aconveyving system of singular simplicity, highefficiency and great compactness, combined with flexibility.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing inwhich,

Figure 1', represents the conveying system in a diagrammatic way, Fig.2, a side elevation of the driving mechanism therefor, Fig. 3, a detailof construction of a transmitting and receiving station, and Fig. 4, adetail of the driving mechanism.

The driving mechanism comprises a suitable prime motor opcrating adriving pulley 1, ona driving shaft 2, to which are secured the-bevelgears 3. These gears are in mesh with similar bevel gears 4, on thedriven shafts and 6. The shafts 5 have bevel gears 7, secured thereto,while the shaft (3 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Application filed August 20, 1912. Serial No. 716,109.

provided with the bevel gears 8, keyed to but slidable on the shaft.

A stationary bar 9, Fig. 4, is part of the general frame (not otherwiseshown) and is located parallel to and underneath the shaft 6, andcarries brackets 10 slidable thereon, carrying the bearings 11 for thebevel gears 12, and the forks 13, engaging the bevel gears '8. The bevelgears 7 mesh similar bevel gears of the stationary driving rollers 1 4while the bev'elgears 8 mesh with the bevel gears 12 of the adjustabledriving rollers 15.

Aseries of endless belts 16, 17, 18 and 19, are superpose upon another,encompassing and lnfolding one another, and are arranged to run aroundthe driving rollers and over 1 ing stations. 1

Referring now to Fig. 1, of the drawing, 21, 22,, 23 and 24, areseparating rollers, for

the idlers 20 to the transmitting and receivthe purpose of moving apartand out of contact, one or more of the belts from the ad,- j ac ent beltor belts and 25, 26, 27 and28, are guide rollers from which all thebelts of a combined transmitting and receiving station converge to acollecting roller 29. The belts J then run over the idlers 30 to asecond station. In this station, after passing a retaining roller 31,the belts except one of the same are taken off by being run over aspreading roller 32, but thereafter joined again at the collectingroller 29. A number of different constructions of stations are shown inthe drawing'requiring modifications in the organization of their parts,according to the conditions presented. 33, for instance, is a guide orretaining roller, used in case that the incoming and outgoing belts arelocated in substantially the same plane. In another station a roller 34is used to cooperate with one of the rollers 31 for holding the beltstogether, whereafter they are separated again by the rollers 35, 36, and.37. Each station comprises, according to the number of belts employed,a number of receiving compartments 38, 39 and 40 and receivingcompartments 41, 42 and 43. These com-- and permitted to drop into areceiving compartment. The transmitting compartments mitting andreceivin cated on a table or esk top, are-provided with glass fronts 47,so as to see whether messages have been received in the receivingcompartments or messages placed in the transmitting compartments havebeen conveyed off.

The drawing illustrates the receiving stations located in any branch ofthe conveying system whether the traveling belts run vertically upwardor downward. The trans- -mitting stations, however, are preferablyalways so arranged that the outgoin legs of the traveling belts are runat an ang e to the horizontal, so that messages placed in thetransmitting compartment, fall-through the slots thereof by gravity uponthe traveling belt and are carried thereon to their destination. In casethat the belts should become stretched, on account of extended use, orfor other reasons, the adjustable driving rollers .are moved by means ofthe brackets 10, until the proper degree of tightness is againmaintained.

The operation of the device is thought to be obvious. Any message, suchas a letter, telegram or newspaper, or any other article,

' if placed into a transmitting compartment and dropped through its slotupon one leg of a traveling belt, which, in time, contacts with itsadjacent belt, is gripped tightly and carried along until the belt orbelts are spread apart by means of one of the spreading rollers, dropthe message, after which the belts are brought together again forfurther travel.

The inventor considers as new and useful and desires to secure byLetters Patent of the United States the following l. A conveyer systemcomprising a plu-,

rality of traveling endless belts having contact with each other for thegreater part of their lengths, and a plurality of receiving andtransmitting stations, said belts being spread apart at said stationsfor transmitting and rcceivii'ig articles thereat.

2. A conveyor system comprising a plurality of traveling endless beltshaving contact with each other for the greater part of their lengths,and a plurality of receiving and transmitting stations, located betweensaid belts, said belts being spread apart at said stations fortransmitting and receiving articles thereat.

3. A conveyer system comprising a plurality of traveling endless beltshaving contact with each other for the greater part of their lengths, alurality of receiving and transmitting stations, said belts being spreadapart at sa1d stations for transmitting and receiving articles thereat,and means for driving said belts.

4. A conveyer system comprisin a plurality of traveling endless beltshaving contact with each other for the'greater part of their lengths,anda plurality of receiving andv transmitting stations, said beltsbeingspread apart at said stations for transmitting and receiving articlesthereat, means for driving said belts, and means for adjusting thetension thereof. v

5. A conveyer system comprising a plurality of traveling endless beltshaving contact with each other for the greater part of their lengths, aplurality of receiving star tions located between said belts, and aplurality of transmitting stations also located between said belts,means forseparating and spreading the belts at one end of said stations,and means for again bringing the belts into contact with each other atthe other end of said stations.

6. A conveyer system comprising a plurality of traveling endless beltshaving con tact with each other for the greater partof their lengths, aplurality of receiving stations located between said belts, a pluralityof transmitting stations also located between said belts, means forseparating and spreading the belts at one end of said sta-j tions, meansfor again bringing the belts into contact with each other at the otherend of said stations, and mechanism for driving said belts.

7. A conveyer system comprising a plurality of traveling endless beltshaving contact with each other for the greater part of their lengths, aplurality of receiving stations located between said belts, a pluralityof transmitting stations also located between said belts, means forseparating and spread ing the belts at one end of said stations, andmeans for again bringing the belts into contact with each other .at theother end of said stations, and mechanism for driving said belts.

In witness whereof the inventor has hereunto set his hand in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, at New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, this 16th day of August, 1912.

' ROBERT W. VAIL.

In presence of RALPH JULIAN SAorrnns, G. M. GRINDLAY.

